What do you do with a 40-foot red 1937 Kenworth Motor Touring Coach? Park staffers at Mount Rainier National Park are wondering this very question.
The coach was one of five built by Kenworth that year and was used by the the park to transport tourists to the park from the Winthrop Hotel in Tacoma and the Olympic Hotel in Seattle. It made its last run in 1962.
Gig Harbor men Art Redford and Frank Pupo donated the coach to the park in July and has been on display at the old gas station at Longmire as part of a transportation exhibit. With the park's busy season tapering off, the staff has asked LeMay Museum to store the coach for the winter. "Whether or not they have it on display depends on them. That would be nice if they could," said Randy King, acting park superintendent.
Among the decisions to be made is where to store the coach long term. The park is ordering an awning to protect the vehicle but winter would still cause damage. King said the coach likely will be displayed at Longmire. He also hopes the coach could be used as a prototype for new shuttles.